Two plead guilty in fatal Sagkeeng beating

Two Sagkeeng First Nation men have pleaded guilty to manslaughter for brutally beating a man to death in an argument over money.

Eugene Fontaine, 41, was pronounced dead by paramedics inside a garden shed behind a home on the reserve early on Oct. 31, 2011. He had suffered major physical injuries and died from bleeding on the brain from the blunt-force trauma.

Nicholas Abraham, 25, and Jonathon Starr, 32, were arrested by RCMP at the scene.

The men each admitted their responsibility during a Winnipeg court hearing on Monday morning.

Crown prosecutors accepted their manslaughter pleas in full answer to charges of second-degree murder.

The men and Fontaine had been drinking and taking Tylenol 3 pills the night before when an argument erupted over money, Crown attorney Michael Himmelman said.

"The co-accused beat, kicked and stomped the deceased for a lengthy period," Himmelman said. The beating first started in the home then moved to a deck, court heard.

Fontaine was tied up and dragged to the shed. He was left there for several hours, and he died, said Himmelman. Emergency responders found him loosely covered in blankets, he added.

RCMP noticed the blood on the deck, which appeared to have been mopped up. Abraham's hoodie, pants and shoes were also stained with blood, said Himmelman.

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